SAOT

Sports abbreviation · Soccer (Association Football)

SAOT
Stands forSemi-automated offside technology
CategoriesSports

SAOT stands for Semi-automated offside technology, a soccer (Association football) abbreviation.

System combining limb-tracking cameras and a sensor in the ball to detect offside positions within seconds, producing 3D animations for broadcasts. It assists VAR rather than replacing it.

Example: SAOT confirmed the striker's shoulder was offside by three centimeters.

Usage notes

First used at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and in the UEFA Champions League; the Premier League began using it in 2025. It speeds up offside reviews that previously required manual line drawing.

More soccer (Association football) abbreviations

  • PK – Penalty kick
  • PL – Premier League
  • PSR – Profit and Sustainability Rules
  • RB – Right back
  • RM – Right midfielder
  • RW – Right winger
  • SOT – Shots on target
  • ST – Striker
  • UCL – UEFA Champions League
  • UECL – UEFA Conference League
  • UEL – UEFA Europa League
  • USMNT – United States men's national soccer team

See all 46 soccer (Association football) abbreviations →

Edited by the AbbreviationList.com team. Spotted an error or a missing meaning? Contact us.